1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for carrying a plurality of credit cards and more particularly the invention relates to a credit card carrier or wallet which includes an alarm to indicate the absence of a credit card from one or more pockets that receive the credit cards. Most specifically the invention relates to switch means which is a part of the wallet, which switch is normally open when a credit card is received in one of the pockets of the wallet and which is closed when the credit card is absent from the pocket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of credit cards in today's society has become extremely commonplace. A very large number of the consuming public now carry a number of credit cards which they use to make purchases of a wide variety of goods and services in all sorts of retail facilities. It is common for the credit card owner to carry his cards in a wallet which is normlly stored by the card owner in a pocket or purse. When making a purchase, the card owner presents the appropriate card to the retail facility and a record of the sales transaction is made, normally with the card serving as a means of imprinting the card owner's name and account number upon a charge slip and receipt. After the purchase the sales person normally returns the card and receipt to the card owner. Frequently, however, the card owner, for one reason or another, may not return the card used to his wallet, and the card becomes lost. This may result in a substantial amount of inconvenience to the card owner, since he must notify the cardissuing facility of the card's loss to prevent the unauthorized use of the lost card.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a wallet or credit card holder which will signal the card owner to alert him to the fact that a card is missing from the card carrier once the carrier has been returned to the owner's pocket or purse.
One such device for accomplishing the above function is shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,250 which relates to a device which will signal the card owner of the absence of a card from a wallet.
This patent discloses a credit card carrier that includes a pair of flaps that are foldable upon each other in the manner of a cover of a book. Each of the flaps contains a number of clip switches which are adapted for receiving credit cards. These clip switches are arranged in parallel interconnection with one another and in series connection between an alarm battery and a proximity switch.
In the device shown in this patent, the absence of a card from one or more of the clip switches permits the clip switch to close and complete the circuit to sound an alarm. The device also includes a proximity switch so that the circuitry between the battery, alarm and the clip switch is disabled until the flaps are folded one upon each other to close the proximity switch.
The device of the present invention relates to and is an improvement upon the switch shown and disclosed in my patent referred to above. In the device shown in this patent, the cards are held in the foldable flaps in side-by-side relationship to each other. Further, the device shown in this patent includes relatively stiff book cover type members which carry the clip switches and which are hinged to each other. Additionally, the device as disclosed in this patent is either a self-contained device, that is one which is used by itself, or one in which the device is carried as an accessory in a separate wallet.
In certain situations, it may be desirable to provide an arrangement wherein the credit card alarm device can be carried on only one flap of a folding wallet and in which a plurality, for example six, credit cards can be carried on one flap in staggered relationship overlapping one another. Thus, the space occupied by the carrying device would be relatively small, and all of the cards could be carried on one flap of a folding wallet. This type of wallet, commonly called a "pocket secretary" may be carried in an inside pocket of a man's suit, or in a woman's purse.